Zhang Ping, director of China's powerful National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) — the leading economic planner — called on China's provinces to slow down their economic growth targets for 2011 and take into consideration the effects of growth on "energy, environment, water and land." Zhang said only five or six provinces have lowered their growth targets to 8 or 9 percent — 8 percent being the Communist Party's estimated rate of growth necessary to maintain sufficient job creation. The others have targeted 10 percent growth rates or higher, and some aim to double their total output in five years. Zhang's comments point to the central government's pragmatic desire for the provincial growth targets to be consistent with the national target. Beijing also does not want provinces to set themselves up for a deadline-driven rush that will increase costs or intentionally use fake numbers to please the central government.